Several years ago I was cleaning out a closet. There in a battered and bend cardboard box I found my remaining comic books from my childhood.

There were between forty and fifty books, all in well-read condition. Some had covers, others did not. As I sat on the hardwood floor in our study I read and read reliving an important part of my childhood.

While many people loved Superman, Batman, Spiderman or Captain America, my favorites were Nighthawk and the purple-clad archer pinned to the ground, Hawkeye.

I loved the Defenders. I loved the Avengers. There in the pile was this comic book from when I was ten years old depicting a battle between the two heroic teams The Defenders and The Avengers.

Enthusiastically I read the book only to find – “NO!” – a cliffhanger.

For some reason – probably because I didn’t have the money – I didn’t buy all six issues in the epic Defenders-Avengers battle. I hoped that somehow I could twenty-five years later find the missing books; so when I saw Outpost 2000 a mile away from our home I walked in.

There I met Jeff Prentiss. Jeff is a great guy. We struck up a quick friendship that lasts to this day. Jeff is my friend, my favorite chess mentor, the gracious web host of mysilentscream and the salesman who rekindled my love for comic books.

I didn’t find all six issues for several months, but eventually I did. I loved finishing a read that I began when I was ten years old.

Then and now I learned some important life-lessons from comic books. For the rest of the week I’ll share a bit of wisdom I’ve collected from my love for comic books.